Hot Wheels

Looking for a cheap way to travel? If you’ve already realized renting a car is the least expensive and most efficient option, you might be able to save yourself extra money by NOT renting a car from the airport.   I’m talking discounts greater than 50%.Airports are easy to get to and around, but they are also costly. Car rental companies charge additional “Airport Service Fees” of around $10-15, to say nothing of how much it costs you to get there.   At the airport, the companies are all competing with one another and with such high consumer demand, they can all pretty much agree to charge the same high prices. Off-site rental companies are looking to do business and might have a special discount in addition to much lower standard rates.

For a weekend rental (Noon Friday-Monday) of the same Standard car, at the same company in the New York City area, here are a few calculations… Read more

Beautiful and Budget Friendly Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina is a gorgeous city, but it is also perfect for folks on a budget. An unfortunate economic climate has put in the country in what seems like an endless cycle of recessions. This is bad for Argentina, but great for tourists. When I visited Buenos Aires, 1 U.S. dollar was equivalent to 3.40 Argentine Pesos, now 1USD=3.70ARS.
If your budget is preventing you from hopping the pond to Europe, I would suggest coming to Buenos Aires. It has a very European feel to it, but without the high price tag. The lifestyle and architecture are markedly more European than any other city in South America. Most Porteños, or residents of Buenos Aires, are of European descent. Argentina actually has the largest number of Italian descendents outside of Italy. To this point, it seems that there is a Pizzeria and or gelato shop on every corner. Also, Argentine men seem to have inherited the art of flirting and flattery from their Italian forefathers. Don’t believe the hype about the general preference for blondes. Argentine men LOVE the ladies. Trust me!

As part of your trip to Buenos Aires, I would recommend spending a day or afternoon in the historical neighborhood of Recoleta. This is a beautiful neighborhood filled with breathtaking parks and dotted with Parisian-style architecture. Most sights in the neighborhood are free or very low cost. This also happens to be the domain of the ladies who lunch. Most restaurants we came across in this trendy and upscale neighborhood offer great lunch and dinner specials. We had a lovely prix-fixed lunch at a great cafe including an appetizer, entree, dessert, and glass of wine for 70 pesos or roughly $20. Argentina’s claim to culinary fame is their mouthwatering steak, and at these prices you would be foolish not to try it.

Walking down the fashionable streets of the Palermo neighborhood, I saw more boutiques in one place than I have ever seen before in my life…and they all had sale signs in the windows! Buenos Aires is really putting out great designers and you can get fantastic deals at their shops. I highly recommend visiting the Carla Danelli boutique. She is a designer focused on shoes, handbags, and other leather accessories. Her designs are unique, modern, and only use the softest leather. I was able to purchase a beautiful fuchsia colored leather handbag for 50% off the original price. It was a great deal!

www.carladanelli.com
Buenos Aires is relatively spread out, but it easy to get around on the subway or subte. Taxis are everywhere and cheap. Most taxi rides cost us between $3 to $5.
If you are looking to travel internationally, but do not think you can afford it in this economy, Buenos Aires is one of the places I would highly recommend to visit. Not only is it a beautiful and friendly city, but you can experience all it has to offer on a small budget.